Machine for American style coffee for use on aircraft

ABSTRACT

A machine for in aircraft dispenses hot beverages, such as coffee, American-style coffee, and tea, as well as to dispense hot and cold water. The machine includes a hydralic circuit and an electrical circuit, and has a parallelepiped structure including a structural paneling and a paneling forming a covering, an open front compartment in which a container or jug for beverages is housed, and, located above the compartment, a front control panel and underlying cartridge-holder drawer which can be pulled out. The machine includes a heater through which passes water only at the moment of dispensing in the from of a beverage or hot water. The heater is connected to the cartridge-holder drawer and the and the hydraulic actuation system forces the heater to come down onto and close the cartridge-holder drawer in a sealed manner when the beverage or hot water is being dispensed.

SCOPE OF INVENTION

The present invention regards a machine for American-style coffee foruse on aircraft. More in general, the machine according to the inventionmay be used to dispense hot beverages, such as coffee and tea, and/orhot and cold water.

PRIOR ART

For a better definition of the technical field of the present invention,it is necessary to point out that the ancillary equipment used onaircraft, such as coffee machines, must meet specific requirements thatcorrespond to strict aeronautic standards. In particular, machines formaking American-style coffee for use on aircraft, which is the technicalfield to which the present invention refers, must be in compliance withaeronautic standards, such as JAR25, FAR25, RTCA/DO 160C, and RAI(Italian Aeronautics Register) Technical Regulations. It shouldimmediately be said that coffee machines not designed for use onaircraft do not meet any aeronautic standards.

According to JAR25, the machines must, among other things, be able tosupport up to nine times their own weight; withstand a given range ofvibrations (for 1 hour for each Cartesian axis), and still be operative;withstand storage for 3 hours at the temperatures of −55° C. and +85°C.; operate at temperatures of between +1.7° C. and +55° C.; still beoperative after being kept for 12 hours in an environment with arelative humidity of ≧95%; and be built with materials which, in theevent of fire, are self-extinguishing and with low emission of smoke, soas not to give off toxic gases, and materials such as do not havecompositions that are harmful to human health.

In addition, the machines must possess the characteristics according towhich if an explosion of a component takes place, the said explosionmust be extinguished inside the machine itself; they must also havedimensions such as to enable them to be accommodated and remain fixed inconditions of safety within the special compartments prepared for themon aircraft; and they must also be as light as possible, consideringthat aeroplanes such as the Boeing 737 or 747 can house even 10 of suchmachines. The reduction of approximately one kilogram of weight on boardan aeroplane can mean considerable energy savings in the course of a ayear.

At present, in the aviation field there exist coffee machines, inparticular machines for dispensing American-style coffee, tea, or otherhot beverages, the design of which is obsolete and which are certainlyinadequate for current needs of weight-saving associated to improvedfunctionality and safety. The said machines use a boiler container whichremains pressurized for the whole time that the machines are switchedon, a period in which the water is heated by means of direct contactwith one or more resistors. Airline companies have therefore on numerousoccasions expressed the need for innovative coffee machinescharacterized in particular by reduced weight and maintenance and byimproved safety features.

In particular, EP-A387515 discloses a coffee maker for use in aircraftswhich does not comprise an hydraulic circuit provided with an actuationsystem which vertically forces the heater to come down onto thecartridge holder drawer so as to close it in a sealed manner and alsosaid coffee maker is not governed by a software. In addition CA 2121998,EP-A-353425 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,588 do not disclose any elements toprovide an increased safety and easiness of the control of the brewingprocess.

There has now been found a specific combination of parts and an adequatechoice of components, materials and forms which enable the constructionof innovative machines that are able to dispense coffee, the so-calledAmerican or American-style coffee, and other hot beverages. The machineconfiguration and conformation described herein produce a longer-lastingdevice which is easier to use, safer, and lighter than the machines thatare currently known. Further advantages of the invention will be evidentfrom the following description.

In the present description the words “exchanger” and “heater” will beused indifferently, meaning thereby a thermal set comprising heatingelements and elements designed for the passage of the fluid that is tobe heated.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

An object of the present invention is a machine that is able to dispensehot beverages, such as coffee, American-style coffee, tea, and/or hotand cold water, in accordance with the attached claims. In particular,the machine comprises a load-bearing structure substantially mad ofaluminium, side panels, and bass and head substantially made ofaluminium, the said machine being characterized in that it compriseselements configured and conformed in such a way as to be used in theaviation field.

A further object of the invention is a heater with two faces for heatingliquids that may be used both in coffee machines of the type used onaircraft and in traditional coffee machines.

Further objects of the present invention will be evident from theensuing description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

For a better understanding of the invention, a non-limiting example ofembodiment of the invention is shown in the attached figures in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front perspective view of the machine;

FIG. 2 is a schematic rear perspective view of the machine;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the heater/cartridge-holderdrawer assembly;

FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of the heater from above;

FIG. 5 is an exploded schematic view of the heater from below;

FIG. 6a is a first part of the flow chart of the American/coffeefunction;

FIG. 6b is a second part of the flow chart of the American-coffeefunction;

FIG. 6c is a third part of the flow chart of the American-coffeefunction;

FIG. 7a is a first part of the flow chart of the tea function;

FIG. 7b is a second part of the flow chart of the tea function;

FIG. 8 is the flow chart of the hot-water function;

FIG. 9 is the flow chart of the cold-water function; and

FIG. 10 is the hydraulic diagram.

In the figures, the same reference numbers refer to correspondingfunctions and/or elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The machine according to the invention is designed for preparing hotbeverages, such as coffee, American-style coffee and tea in pre-setamounts, as well as for supplying hot and cold water on board theaeroplane. For the preparation of hot beverages, the use of pre-preparedsingle-dose cartridges is envisaged, for example of the type known forautomatic devices in which each cartridge represents a single, possiblypre-compressed, dose of powdered coffee or powdered tea enclosed infilter paper or some other wrapping, through which the hot water and/orsteam can pass at pre-set temperatures for the preparation of thebeverage. In particular, pre-prepared cartridges containing coffee ofstandard dimensions (e.g., approximately 108×134 mm) may be used.

The design of the outside of the machine distinguishes it completelyfrom the other machines currently to be found in the aviation field bythe rounded shape which is aimed at creating a more comfortableenvironment for the user. Levers and any other externally protrudingsystems of operation, which could create situations of danger, areabsent. The controls are located on a front control panel of thetouch-sensor type, with warning lights and silk-screen printedindicators.

The peculiar characteristic of this machine is represented by theabsence of a pressurized boiler for heating the water, instead of whicha heater is used inside which water passes only when the beverage isbeing dispensed, i.e., when the system is open to the atmosphere. Inthis way, the danger represented by pressurized water enclosed within acontainer is avoided.

A further characteristic of the machine is that of having the heatercorrespondingly connected to the cartridge-holder system, the heater andthe cartridge-holder being operatively combined together vertically.This mode of operation is obtained by means of a hydraulic system.Consequently, no lever-type mechanical system is present on the machinefor closing the cartridge-holder compartment. This operation isperformed by the pressure supplied by a pump on a hydraulic piston thatis operatively connected to the heater. In this way, the heater comesdown onto the cartridge-holder compartment, substantially sealing it andpreventing any steam from coming out. The cartridge-holder compartmentis provided, above the cartridge itself, with a perforated plate.Between the said plate and the bottom surface of the heater a chamber iscreated which enables uniform distribution of the water over thecartridge. The heater is made of aluminium and heats the water withoutincreasing its pressure since no pockets of hot air are present alongthe entire path of the water. The heater is of the two-faced type withplane configuration, wherein a heating element is set between two areas,one above and one below the element, in which the water to be heatedpasses. With such an arrangement, the thermal yield is maximized andleakage of heat is minimized. The heater/cartridge-holder couplingsystem may also be associated to traditional machines.

The machine components are chosen in such a way as to be in compliancewith the aforementioned aeronautic standards and to guarantee a meantime between failures (MTBF) of 5000 hours (assuming the routinemaintenance programme).

The machine may be built in such a way as to have preferably thefollowing technical specifications; depth 310-390 mm; width 150-180 mm;height 290-340 mm; weight 11-16.7 kg; power supply 115 V, 400 Hzthree-phase, or 28 Vdc; power up to 3500 W; pressure of incoming water0.3-5.0 bar, preferably 1.5-2.0 bar.

The electrical and hydraulic interfaces are compatible with aeroplanegalleys; i.e., the incoming and outgoing water connectors and theelectrical connector are selected, arranged and positioned appropriatelyon the rear of the machine. Preferred electrical connectors are of thetype MS3106A-16S-1P (ITT-Canon); preferred water connectors are of thetype Hansen 2KLF16 (Hansen), or products having similar features.

The material used is mainly anodized aluminium machined usingnumerical-control machines to guarantee an adequate resistance combinedwith lightness and the precision of the pieces made. Such types ofmachining are well known to persons skilled in the art and enable piecesto be obtained that are machined with precision and very low tolerances.The use of plastic is limited to the minimum. All the materials are incompliance with the Handbook of Sanitation for Airlines (USPHS). Thepipes for delivering water are made of Teflon® for foodstuffs, and thepipe fittings are made of non-harmful material.

The printed-circuit boards are surface-treated with a protectivetreatment so as to withstand vibrations, be resistant to humidity, andbe resistant to fungi and bacteria or other organic contaminants.

The machine is equipped with a hydraulic section for water delivery andwith a system of pumps for maintaining the flow of water constant insidethe machine irrespective of the environmental operating pressure presentin the aircraft.

The hydraulic circuit is designed so that the failure of any activeelement making it up (valves, pumps, etc.) will not create overpressuresin the circuit. The movement of water inside the hydraulic system of themachine is ensured by pumps and controlled by solenoid valves.Measurement of the incoming-water pressure is made by means of asolid-state pressure sensor and is used as regulating input by asoftware with which the machine is equipped. When the pressure is notwithin the range set for machine operation, a warning light lights up onthe front panel of the machine.

A filter 18′ of a commercially available type, for example anion-fractionation filter, is located at the point of water intake toprevent deposition of lime. In order to reduce weight, the aforesaidcommercially available filter may be advantageously rendered lighter byreplacing the outer casing with a corresponding aluminum casing.

In order to prevent overpressure, a suitably calibrated air valve ispositioned downstream of the pumps.

One hydraulic distributor for cold water and one for hot water make upthe communication between the solenoid valves for distributing theincoming and outgoing fluid. The said distributors are basicallyparallelepipedal elements made of plastic material, such as ERTA PVDF(polyvinylidene fluoride) manufactured by Angst Pfizer or a producthaving similar performance features, and inside them channels are madefor the passage of water, these channels being arranged in such a way asto create the appropriate connection between the solenoid valves, thusavoiding the use of cumbersome pipe fittings.

The solenoid valves used for the distributors are of the header type.They present the advantage of eliminating part of the pipe connectionsin that the header, which is provided with an inlet hole and an outlethole for the fluid, is connected directly to the hydraulic distributor.The said valves are easy to disassemble.

The solenoid valves are of two types: two-way and three-way. The two-waysolenoid valves control the flow of water by opening and closing. Thethree-way solenoid valves, which work in the same way as the two-wayones, in addition present a way for discharging the water.

The solenoid valves that govern the hot water stretch are chosen towithstand temperatures of up to at least 150° C. and have ruby gaskets.The other gaskets of the machine are made of Viton®.

The pipe fittings on the hot water parts are made of stainless steel soas to present high efficiency both from the point of view of thermalcharacteristics and from the point of view of alimentary characteristics(instead, the pipe fittings on machines not designed for use on aircraftare made of nickel-plated brass, which may be subject to flaking at hightemperatures).

The electrical circuit is designed and built so as not to create anyelectromagnetic interference with the instrumentation on board theaircraft and, at the same time, so as not to be affected by the saidinstrumentation. For this reason, the cards of all the electricalsupplies are filtered using, for example, EMI filters or filters 19′presenting similar features, which are designed basically to eliminatethe high-frequency components which could generate electromagneticwaves.

The machine is electrically protected against overtemperatures bymanually resettable safety thermostats mounted directly on the heater(e.g., ones manufactured by the firm Termix), and inside the hydrauliccircuit also in the case of failure of the control solenoid valves thereis no possibility of the exchangers remaining pressurized since they areequipped with three-way solenoid valves which, when they arede-energized, are open towards the discharge.

The machine is designed so that water will not collect and consequentlystagnate:

the water that is not used is all sent to be discharged. In this way,the formation of harmful micro-organisms (algae, fungi, bacteria, etc.)is prevented.

The machine does not have any external handles, and consequently issafer than machines currently available on the market in that it doesnot have any parts to get hooked on to accidentally.

The machine and all the elements that can be removed from it, such asthe drawer and the jug, are protected against the possibility ofaccidental release, in that they are located in seats provided withself-locking devices which, when the items are inserted, must first bereleased; i.e., locking of the items in place is automatic when theitems are inserted in their respective seats.

The machine is also equipped with a weight-sensitive safety systeminserted on the jug resting surface; i.e., the plate which carries thejug for the beverages is hinged on the bottom of the machine and restson the front of the machine on a force sensor so that, when the jug ispositioned, for example partially filled, the possibility of a furthernon-controlled addition of water causing it to overflow is prevented;that is, the load cell governs water delivery.

The machine is protected from electrical overloads by a main supplyswitch, referred to as circuit breaker, located on the rear of themachine. As a result, the machine does not have any fuses which wouldhave to be set one on each phase and which would entail, when they blow,disassembly, replacement and reassembly. In the event of the current onone of the three phases exceeding a pre-set threshold value, for example10 A, in the machine according to the invention the current on all thephases is automatically cut off. Once the overload has been eliminated,the circuit breaker (e.g., Klixon—Texas Instruments) can be resetmanually, just like an ordinary switch.

The main functions of the machine are governed by an electronic sectionmanaged by a microprocessor (CPU 16′) based upon an original software.The presence of a serial port 16″ is moreover envisaged, via which, bymeans of connection to a simple personal computer, it is possible toread the history file of the machine, for example, the number ofoperating cycles and/or the hours of operation, and/or other indicationsuseful for routine maintenance of the machine. Through the said serialport, it is also possible to supply information to the machine and varythe machine parameters, such as amount of water for the coffee function(if, for example, the capacity of the jug varies), weight of jug, andtemperature of water delivery. The corresponding software is supplied tothe customer, who can make modifications to it as he wishes.

The invention will now be illustrated with reference to the attachedfigures, which are to be considered a non-limiting illustration of theinvention.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

With particular reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the machine according to theinvention has a basically parallelepipedal shape and is built ofaluminum, preferably the alloy 6082T6 produced by the firm Alcoa or thefirm Metra, or some other product having similar features in terms oflightness and resistance. The outer structure of the machine comprises afront control panel I of the touch-sensor type (known to persons skilledin the art), with the controls of the various functions silk-screenprinted on it, for example as follows: a) ON/OFF switch; b) “coffee”switch; c) “tea” switch; d) “hot water” switch; e) “cold water” switch;f) “blocked” indicator; g) “ready” indicator; h) “no water” indicator;i) “failure” indicator; and j) “released” indicator. Beneath the frontpanel 1, the pull-out drawer 2 is present, inside which the cartridge(not shown) is inserted. The drawer 2 opens and closes in a sliding wayand to ensure safety it has one locking position whereby, once thedrawer has been completely inserted into the machine, it maysubsequently be pulled out during normal machine operation (forinserting or removing the cartridge). The drawer 2 is appropriatelysized to house the cartridge and has on the bottom a hole through whichthe hot beverage passes to be subsequently collected in the jug. Thereference numbers 3, 3′ indicate the structural or load-bearing panel ofthe machine, which is substantially U-shaped, built in such a way, aboveall in terms of thickness, as to bear the weight of the machine. The twoperforated rear side panels are indicated by 4 and have the solefunction of covering. On the front of the machine an open compartment ismade, in which the container or jug (not shown) for the beverages ishoused. The said open compartment is delimited basically by the bottomwall of the drawer 2, by the structural panel 3, 3′, and by the surfaceor plate 6 for supporting the jug. On the bottom of the wall 3′, thefollowing are located: a handle 7 for pulling out the machine, aspring-type sensor 8 (comprising a rod 8′. a spring 8″. a bracket 8′″.an optical sensor 8″″), which detects the presence of the jug when thisis inserted and pressed against the said sensor 8, and the spout 9 fordelivering the hot or cold water to the jug. On the wall 3′, at thebottom, there is also set a handle 10 which may be raised and lowered,as indicated by the double-headed arrow A, so as to correspondinglyraise or lower a pin (not shown) which slides in the guide 11 and hasthe function of blocking the machine on the aircraft galley. The housingof the machine on the galley is made in such a way that it slides onrails, the guides of which are indicated by 12 and are made of asubstantially channel-shaped extruded aluminum section.

At the top, the machine has a covering panel 13 which has a compartment14 in which a handle (not shown) for lifting and transporting themachine is housed. As regards the plate 6, this is shaped so as toconveniently accommodate the bottom of the jug (not shown). The plate 6is slightly inclined towards the rear of the machine and has a drainagehole 6′ connected to the discharge, so that any liquid that mayaccidentally be spilled is carried towards the discharge. In addition, adevice is provided for safety fixing of the jug, basically consisting ofa shaped rod 15 which is operated by a spring (not shown) and whichmoves as indicated by the double-headed arrow B. The said rod 15 must bemanually lowered for insertion of the jug, which, once it is housed onthe plate 6, is held in position by the rod 15 coming back up; the rod15, at the same time, holds the jug in position also with respect to thepresence sensor 8.

The plate 6 is in turn hinged on the bottom wall 3′. The plate 6 restson a load-cell system 6″ which is able to detect the presence and weightof the jug and correspondingly control filling thereof.

At the rear the machine has a first perforated rear panel 16 forcovering and a second rear panel 17 for support, on which the connectorfor water 18 and the electrical connector 20 are present. The referencenumber 19 indicates the manually resettable circuit breaker, which, inthis embodiment, is positioned on the supporting panel 16.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the cartridge-holder drawer2/exchanger 22 assembly. The exchanger 22, which is otherwise referredto herein as heater, is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 4 and 5.Located on the exchanger 22 are the water inlet and water outlet. Inaddition, the exchanger 22 can move in the direction indicated by thedouble-headed arrow D along the travel guides 23, assisted by thepresence of springs 23′. This movement is produced by a hydraulic piston(114) the striking plate of which is indicated by 21, the said pistonbeing pressurized by a pump (not shown) within the first two seconds ofthe coffee cycle, after which time it is kept pressurized by the closingof the separation solenoid valve 113. At the end of the cycle, thepressure is discharged through the opening of the solenoid valve 113 andthe solenoid valve 112 (the said solenoid valves not being shown in FIG.3—see FIG. 10), and the residual water is discharged.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the parts making up the exchanger 22,which is made of machined anodized aluminium, are illustrated. In theembodiment, the exchanger 22 has a plane conformation and comprises fourelements.

The first of these is a central element 24, inside which at least oneresistor is embedded (in the example shown there are three resistors 24a, 24 b, 24 c, which may be cylindrical resistors of the typeIRCA-Zoppas, 115 Vdc, 800-1000 W). The top and bottom surfaces of theelement 24 are furrowed by grooves (hereinafter referred to as coils) 24e and 24 f having a semicircular cross section. The two coils may bedifferent from one another, and each of them is sized, in terms oflength and section, according to the amount of water that is to beheated, this amount in turn varying according to the function chosen(coffee, tea, hot water). Advantageously, one coil may be approximately1.5 metres long. According to a preferred arrangement, the machine isequipped with two heaters, one for the beverage and hot-water functions,and the other for the steam function. The exchanger 22 is provided withplastic gaskets and coatings such as to reduce loss of heat to a minimumand to maximize efficiency. The element 24 also has a hole 24 d whichsets the two coils 24 e and 24 f in communication with one another. Thecentral element 24 is closed in a sealed manner between a further twoplane elements, the overlying element 25 and the underlying element 26.The element 25 is in turn provided, on its top face, with recesses orhollows 25 a made for lightening the structure, the purpose of which isbasically to reduce weight and to economize on material. The element 25is further provided with a hole 25 b for intake of water into theexchanger 22, with a corresponding water-outlet hole 25 c, and with afurther hole 25 d for passage of water to the drawer 2. The latter hole25 d corresponds to a further two holes, 24 d and 26 d, which are alsodirected towards the drawer 2. The underlying element 26 is in turnprovided with the aforesaid hole 26 d and, on its bottom face, with arecess or chamber 26 a, whilst its top face is basically plane.Underneath the element 26 is mounted the perforated plate 27, whichfaces and/or is in contact with the cartridge (not shown) housed in thedrawer 2. The function of the recess 26 a, which may have a thickness ofapproximately 0.8 mm, is that of distributing the water evenly in therecess 26 a itself and of making it come out, assisted by the series ofholes present on the plate 27, so as to wet the cartridge rapidly andevenly.

In the exchanger 22/drawer 2 assembly, the water passes as follows: thewater comes into the hole 25 b, passes into the coil 24 e, drops intothe hole 24 c, runs along the coil 24 f, returns upwards through thehole 24 c, and comes out of the exchanger through the hole 25 c. It thengoes to the solenoid valve 106, returns to the hole 25 d, passes throughthe holes 25 d, 24 d and 26 d, and then arrives at the chamber 26 a,from where it is distributed, comes out from the holes in the plate 27,and drops through the cartridge in the drawer 2, from which it comes outthrough an outlet hole (not shown) located above the jug.

FIGS. 6a to 9 present, the flow charts of the “coffee” (FIGS. 6a, 6 b, 6c), “tea” (FIGS. 7a, 7 b), “hot water” (FIG. 8), and “cold water” (FIG.9) functions (also referred to as cycles) that the machine is able toperform. These flow charts are self-explanatory, and a person skilled inthe art is able, when reading them, to understand all the safetyfunctions with which the machine is provided.

With particular reference to FIGS. 6a, 6 b, 6 c, they refer to the same“coffee cycle” with the following operation steps:

6.1 press “coffee” switch

6.2 is the “water in line” condition present?

6.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present?

6.4 is the “no water” led permanently on?

6.5 “no water” led flashing|stop

6.6 is the “temperature ready” condition present?

6.7 start-up of “10-sec timer”

6.8 is the condition “server ok” present?

6.9 is the condition “cartridge-holder in position” present?

6.10 “coffee” led flashing

6.11 does the “10-sec timer” stop?|stop

6.12 stop of “10-sec timer”

6.13 start-up of “4-min timer”

6.14 start-up of “2-sec timer”

6.15 does the “2-sec timer” stop?

6.16 is the condition “cartridge-holder in position” present?

6.17 “failure” led lights up|stop

6.18 does solenoid valve 113 deactivate?

6.19 flow meter 103 starts count

6.20 start-up of “10-sec timer”

6.21 activates solenoid valves 104 and 106

6.22 does the “10-sec timer” stop?

6.23 stops pump and deactivates solenoid valves 104 and 106

6.24 start-up of “10-sec timer”

6.25 does the “10-sec timer” stop?

6.26 starts up pump and activates solenoid valves 104 and 106

6.27 does the flow meter stop count?

6.28 is the condition “server active” present?

6.29 does the “4-min timer” stops?

6.30 stops pump and counters and deactivates solenoid valves 106 and112—increases by one the “coffee cycles” counter|stop

The characteristics of the “coffee” function are: 1.5|±10% of coffee ata temperature of approximately 85° C.±5° C. in approximately 2 min 45sec±15 sec for a pressure line at 1.2-3.0 bar.

Controls and safety devices are provided, as described in what follows.The “coffee” function is operative only if the following conditions aresatisfied:

a pressure sensor reads a line pressure of 0.3-5.0 bar;

a temperature probe in the exchanger 22 reads a value of approximately98° C. when the function is requested;

an optical sensor is ON (i.e., the jug is present);

a first microswitch is ON (the drawer is completely inserted); and

a second microswitch is ON two seconds after the request for coffee(this means that a hydraulic piston is pressing against the exchanger 22and the drawer 2).

During delivery, if one of the aforesaid conditions is no longersatisfied (with the exception of the condition regarding the temperatureprobe), the function is interrupted immediately. End-of-delivery iscontrolled by a flow meter. A second safety system is present, which iscontrolled by the force sensor located underneath the surface or plate 6on which the jug rests and which interrupts delivery by checking theweight of the jug that is being filled. In addition, a 4-minute timerinterrupts delivery if none of the above-mentioned devices is working.

The “coffee” function is also interrupted when the “coffee” switch onthe front control panel is pressed again.

Both FIGS. 7a and 7 b refer to the “tea” function, the characteristics,controls and safety devices of which are similar to those of the“coffee” function.

Herein below there are described the operation steps:

7.1 press “tea” switch

7.2 is the “water in line” condition present?

7.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present?

7.4 is the “no water” led permanently on?

7.5 is the “no water” led flashing?|stop

7.6 is the “temperature ready” condition present?|stop

7.7 start-up of “10-sec timer”

7.8 is the condition “server ok” present?

7.9 is the condition “cartridge-holder in position” present?

7.10 “tea” led flashing

7.11 does the “10-sec timer” stop?|stop

7.12 stop of “10-sec timer”

7.13 start-up of “4-min timer”

7.14 flow meter 103 starts count

7.15 starts up pump and activates solenoid valves 104 and 107

7.16 does flow meter finish count?

7.17 is the “server active” condition present?

7.18 does the “4-min” counter stop?

7.19 stops pumps and counters and deactivates solenoid valves 104 and107—increases by one the “tea cycles” counter |stop

FIG. 8 refers to the “hot water” function. Herein below there aredescribed the operation steps:

8.1 press “hot water” switch

8.2 is the “water in line” condition present?

8.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present?

8.4 is the “no water” led permanently on?

8.5 “no water led flashing |stop

8.6 is the “temperature ready” condition present?|stop

8.7 start-up of “20-sec timer”

8.8 starts up pumps and activates solenoid valves 104 and 108

8.9 “20-sec” timer stops

8.10 stops pumps and deactivates solenoid valves 104 and 108 —increasesby one the “hot water cycles” counter |stop

The characteristics of the “hot water” function are: approximately 0.25l of hot water at a temperature of approximately 85° C.±5° C. inapproximately 30 sec.

Controls and safety devices are provided, as described in what follows.The “hot water” function is operative only if the following conditionsare satisfied:

a pressure sensor reads a line pressure of 0.3-5.0 bar;

a temperature probe in the exchanger 22 reads a value of approximately98° C. when the function is requested;

During delivery, if the first condition is no longer satisfied, thefunction is immediately interrupted. Delivery is interrupted after 30sec. or else by pressing the “hot water” switch on the front controlpanel again.

FIG. 9 refers to the “cold water” function. Herein below there aredescribed the operation steps:

9.1 press “cold water” switch

9.2 is the “water in line” condition present?

9.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present?

9.4 is the “no water” led permanently on?

9.5 “no water” led flashing|stop

9.6 start-up of “20-sec timer”

9.7 starts up pump and activates solenoid valve 111

9.8 “20-sec” timer stops

9.9 stops pump and deactivates solenoid valve 111—increases by one the“cold water cycles” counter|stop

The characteristics of the “cold water” function are: approximately 0.25l of cold water at room temperature.

Controls and safety devices are provided, as described in what follows.The “cold water” function is operative only if the pressure sensor readsa line pressure of 0.3-5.0 bar. Delivery is interrupted after 30 sec, orelse by pressing the “cold water” switch on the front control panelagain.

FIG. 10 is a hydraulic diagram of the machine.

Herein below there is the list of the reference numbers inserted:

101. pressure safety switch

102. pump

103. flow meter

104. solenoid valve for inlet to exchanger

105. exchanger

106. solenoid valve for coffee output

107. solenoid valve for tea output

108. solenoid valve for hot water output

109. pump

110. safety valve

111. solenoid valve for cold water output

112. piston solenoid valve

113. separation solenoid valve

114. piston

As may be noted, the pressure of the incoming water is detected by apressure sensor 101 (set at the machine operating pressure), and thewater then reaches the pumps 102 and 109 which send it on, via the flowmeter 103, towards the elements controlling the four functions: “hotwater” (solenoid valve 108), “coffee” (solenoid valve 106), “cold water”(solenoid valve 111), and “tea” (solenoid valve 107). Part of the wateris also used to push the piston 114, together with the exchanger 22,against the cartridge-holder drawer 2.

The cold water passes through the pump 109 and the solenoid valve 111,which controls the “cold water” function. Included in FIG. 10 is thelegend. The entire hydraulic circuit is protected against overpressuresby means of the air valve 110, which opens for pressures higher than themaximum operating pressure.

The machine can advantageously be equipped with a second heater and withother elements, which may be easily identified by reading thedescription of the present invention, to produce also steam.

Under normal conditions, the machine is able to produce 1.5 litres ofhot water at a temperature of approximately 85° C. in approximately 2min 45 sec ±15 sec. There is nothing to prevent the machine according tothe present invention from being used on other means of transport, suchas trains (in particular high-speed trains), ships, etc.

What is illustrated in the attached figures is merely intended toprovide an example of possible embodiments, and a person skilled in theart may make variations or modification without thereby departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention. Any such variation ormodifications are to be considered as included within the scope of thedescription and claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. Machine, in particular for use on aircraft, thatis able to dispense hot beverages, such as coffee, American-style coffeeand tea in pre-set quantities, as well as to dispense hot and coldwater, the said machine being provided with a hydraulic circuit and anelectrical circuit and being governed by software, and having abasically parallelepipedal structure comprising: a structural panelingand a paneling forming a covering, an open front compartment in which acontainer or jug for beverages is housed, there being present above thesaid compartment a front control panel (1) and an underlyingcartridge-holder drawer (2) which can be pulled out, the said machinebeing characterized in that is provided with a hydraulic circuit,regulated by means of electrovalves, operated by an electrical circuitgoverned by an electronic boards and central processing unit in which acontrol software is embedded being characterized in that it comprises atleast one heater (22) inside which water is made to pass only at themoment of dispensing in the form of a beverage or of hot water, the saidheater (22) being correspondingly and operatively connected to thecartridge-holder drawer (2), the operativeness being obtained by meansof a hydraulic actuation system which vertically forces the heater (22)to come down onto the cartridge-holder drawer (2) so as to close itbasically in a sealed manner when the beverage or hot water is beingdispensed.
 2. Machine according to claim 1, in which the structuralpaneling is U-shaped paneling (3, 3′) substantially made of aluminum. 3.Machine according to claim 1, in which the covering paneling comprises atop panel (13) and perforated rear side panels (4).
 4. Machine accordingto claim 2, in which the open compartment is basically delimited by thebottom wall of the cartridge-holder drawer (2), by the paneling (3, 3′),and by a plate (6) for supporting the jug.
 5. Machine according to claim2, in which present on the wall (3′) are a spring-type sensor (8) whichdetects the presence of the jug when this is inserted and pressedagainst the said sensor (8), and a dispensing spout (9) for delivery ofhot or cold water.
 6. Machine according to claim 2, in which located onthe wall (3′), at the bottom, is a handle (10) that can be raised orlowered so as to raise or lower correspondingly a pin which slides inguides (11) and which is designed to clamp the machine in position inthe special housings provided on aircraft.
 7. Machine according to claim6, further equipped with channel-section guides (12) located on theunderside of the machine, which are designed to slide on correspondingrails present in the housings provided on aircraft.
 8. Machine accordingto claim 4, in which the plate (6) is slightly inclined towards the rearof the machine and has a drainage hole (6′) connected to a discharge. 9.Machine according to claim 4, in which the plate (6) rests on aload-cell system that is able to detect the presence and weight of thejug and correspondingly control filling thereof.
 10. Machine accordingto claim 1, further provided with a safety fixing device for the jug,basically consisting of a spring-operated shaped rod (15), the rod (15)having to be lowered manually for insertion of the jug, the latter, onceit is housed on the plate (6), being held in position by the rod (15)which, being activated by the spring, comes back up.
 11. Machineaccording to claim 10, in which the rod (15) coming back up holds thejug pressed against the presence sensor (8).
 12. Machine according toclaim 1, in which the covering paneling comprises a first, perforated,rear panel (16) and a second, structural, rear panel (17), the saidlatter panelling paneling carrying a connector for water (18), anelectrical connector (20) and a manually resettable circuit breaker(19).
 13. Machine according to claim 1, in which the front control panel(1) is of the touch-sensor type, with the controls of the variousfunctions silk-screen printed on it, as follows: a) ON/OFF switch; b)“coffee” switch; c) “tea” switch; d) “hot water” switch; e) “cold water”switch; f) “blocked” indicator; g) “ready” indicator; h) “no water”indicator; i) “failure” indicator; and j) “released” indicator. 14.Machine according to claim 1, in which the drawer (2) opens and closesin a sliding way whereby, once the drawer (2) has been completelyinserted into the machine, it may subsequently be pulled out forinserting or removing the cartridge during normal machine operation. 15.Machine according to claim 1, characterized in that it is made withoutany pressurized boiler for heating water.
 16. Machine according to claim1, wherein the heater (22) is able to supply steam or hot water or hotbeverages.
 17. Machine according to claim 1, having the followingtechnical specifications: depth 310-390 mm; width 150-180 mm; height290-340 mm; weight 11-16.7 kg; power supply 115 V, 400 Hz three-phase or28 Vdc; power up to 3500 W; pressure of incoming water 0.3-5.0 bar. 18.Machine according to claim 17, in which the incoming-water pressure is1.5-2.0 bar.
 19. Machine according to claim 1, in which theprinted-circuit boards required for machine operation aresurface-treated with a protective treatment so as to withstandvibrations, be resistant to humidity, and be resistant to organiccontaminants.
 20. Machine according to claim 1, in which the electricalcircuit is built so as not to create any electromagnetic interferencewith the instrumentation on board the aircraft and, at the same time, soas not to be affected by the said instrumentation, by means of afiltering system which is designed basically to eliminate thehigh-frequency components which generate electromagnetic waves. 21.Machine according to claim 18, further comprising a pressure sensor(101) which detects the pressure of the water entering the machine, andan air valve (110) calibrated so as to prevent overpressures. 22.Machine according to claim 21, further comprising a filter to preventdeposition of lime at the machine inlet.
 23. Machine according to claim1, further comprising at least one hydraulic distributor, the saiddistributor being basically a parallelepipedal element inside whichchannels are made for the passage of water, the said channels beingarranged in such a way as to create the appropriate connection between aplurality of header-type solenoid valves.
 24. Machine according to claim23, in which the solenoid valves are of two types, two-way ones andthree-way ones, the two-way solenoid valves controlling the flow ofwater by opening and closing, and the three-way solenoid valvespresenting a further outlet to the discharge so that, when they are inthe de-energized condition or are de-energized on account ofoverpressure, they open to the discharge.
 25. Machine according to claim1, further provided with a serial port of the type that may be connectedto a personal computer.
 26. Machine according to claim 1, used on othermeans of transport, such as trains, high-speed trains, ships and thelike.
 27. Machine according to claim 3, in which selection of the“coffee” function is according to the following operation steps: 6.1press “coffee” switch 6.2 is the “water in line” condition present? 6.3is the “low pressure in line” condition present? 6.4 is the “no water”LED permanently on? 6.5 is the “no water” LED flashing/stop 6.6 is the“temperature ready” condition present? 6.7 start-up of “10-sec timer”6.8 is the condition “server ok” present? 6.9 is the condition“cartridge-holder in position” present? 6.10 “coffee” LED flashing 6.11does the “10-sec timer” stop?/stop 6.12 stop of “10-sec timer” 6.13start-up of “4-min timer” 6.14 start-up of “2-sec timer” 6.15 does the“2-sec timer” stop? 6.16 is the condition “cartridge-holder in position”present? 6.17 “failure” W LED lights up/stop 6.18 does solenoid valve113 deactivate? 6.19 flow meter 103 starts count 6.20 start-up of“10-sec timer” 6.21 activates solenoid valves 104 and 106 6.22 does the“10-sec timer” stop? 6.23 stops pump and deactivates solenoid valves 104and 106 6.24 start-up of “10-sec time ” 6.25 does the “10-sec timer”stop? 6.26 starts up pump and activates solenoid valves 104 and 106 6.27does the flow meter stop count? 6.28 is the condition “server active”present? 6.29 does the “4-min timer” stops? 6.30 stops pump and countersand deactivates solenoid valves 106 and 112, increases by one the“coffee cycles” counter/stop and coffee is dispensed in a quantity of1.5 liters ±10% at a temperature of approximately 85° C.+5° C. inapproximately 2 min 45 sec±15 sec, the “coffee” function being operativeonly if the following conditions are satisfied: —a pressure sensor readsa line pressure of 0.3 bar-5.0 bar;—a temperature probe in the exchanger(22) reads a value of approximately 98° C. when the function isrequested;—an optical sensor is ON, this meaning that the jug ispresent;—a first microswitch is ON, this meaning that the drawer (2) iscompletely inserted; and—a second microswitch is ON two seconds afterthe request for coffee, this meaning that a hydraulic piston is pressingagainst the exchanger (22) and the drawer (2) during dispensing; duringdelivery, if one of the aforesaid conditions is no longer satisfied,with the exception of the condition regarding the temperature probe, thefunction is immediately interrupted; end-of-delivery being controlled bya flow meter; a second safety system being present, which is controlledby the force sensor located underneath the plate (6) on which the jugrests and which interrupts delivery by checking the weight of the jugthat is being filled; in addition, a 4-minute timer interruptingdelivery if none of the above-mentioned devices is working; the “coffee”function being also interruptible when the “coffee” switch on the frontcontrol panel is pressed again.
 28. Machine according to claim 13, inwhich selection of the “tea” function is according to the proceduredescribed in the previous claim and according to the following operationsteps: 7.1 press “tea” switch 7.2 is the “water in line” conditionpresent? 7.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present? 7.4 is the“no water” LED permanently on? 7.5 is the “no water” LED flashing?/stop7.6 is the “temperature ready” condition present?/stop 7.7 start-up of“10-sec timer” 7.8 is the condition “server ok” present? 7.9 is thecondition “cartridge-holder in position” present? 7.10 “tea” LEDflashing 7.11 does the “10-sec timer” stop?/stop 7.12 stop of “10-sectimer” 7.13 start-up of “4-min timer” 7.14 flow meter 103 starts count7.15 starts up pump and activates solenoid valves 104 and 107 7.16 doesflow meter finish count? 7.17 is the “server active” condition present?7.18 does the “4-min” count stop? 7.19 stops pumps and counters anddeactivates solenoid valves 104 and 107, increases by one the “teacycles” COUNTER/STOP.
 29. Machine according to claim 13, in whichselection of the “hot water” function is according to the followingoperation steps: 8.1 press “hot water” switch 8.2 is the “water in line”condition present? 8.3 is the “low pressure in line” condition present?8.4 is the “no water” LED permanently on? 8.5 “no water” LEDflashing/stop 8.6 is the “temperature ready” condition present?/stop 8.7start-up of “20-sec timer” 8.8 starts up pumps and activates solenoidvalves 104 and 108 8.9 20-sec” timer stops 8.10 stops pumps anddeactivates solenoid valves 104 and 108 increases by one the “hot watercycles” counter/stop and hot water is dispensed in a quantity ofapproximately 0.25 liters at a temperature of approximately 85° C.±5° C.in approximately 30 sec., the “hot water” function being operative onlyif the following conditions are satisfied: a pressure sensor reads aline pressure of 0.3 bar-5.0 bar;—a temperature probe in the exchanger(22) reads a value of approximately 98° C. when the function isrequested; during delivery, if the first condition is no longersatisfied, the function is immediately interrupted; delivery beinginterrupted after 30 sec, or else by pressing the “hot water” switch onthe front control panel again.
 30. Machine according to claim 13, inwhich selection of the “cold water” function is according to thefollowing operation steps: 9.1 press “cold water” switch 9.2 is the“water in line” condition present? 9.3 is the “low pressure in line”condition present? 9.4 is the “no water” LED permanently on? 9.5 “nowater” LED flashing/stop 9.6 start-up of “20-sec timer” 9.7 starts uppump and activates solenoid valve 111 9.8 “20-sec timer” stops 9.9 stopspump and deactivates solenoid valve 111-increases by one the “cold watercycles” counter/stop and cold water is dispensed in a quantity ofapproximately 0.25 liters at room temperature, the “cold water” functionbeing operative only if the pressure sensor reads a line pressure of 0.3bar-5.0 bar, delivery being interrupted after 30 sec, or else bypressing the “cold water” switch on the front control panel again. 31.Machine according to claim 21, in which the pressure of the incomingwater is controlled by a pressure sensor (1001) set at the machineoperating pressure, and the water then reaches the pumps (102) and(109), which send it on, via the flow meter (103), towards the elementscontrolling the following functions: “hot water”, via the solenoid valve(108), “coffee”, via the solenoid valve (106), “cold water”, via thesolenoid valve (111), and “tea”, via the solenoid valve (107), part ofthe water bring also used to push the piston (114) together with theexchanger (22) against the cartridge-holder drawer (2), the cold watermoreover passing through the pump (109) and the solenoid valve (111),which controls the “cold water” function.
 32. Heater (22) made ofmachined anodized aluminum, having basically a plane conformation andcomprising of four elements: a central element (24), inside which atleast one resistor is embedded, the top and bottom surfaces of theelement (24) being furrowed by grooves or coils (24 e) and (24 f) havinga semicircular cross section and being in communication through a hole(24 c), and being moreover sized, in terms of length and section,according to the amount of water that is to be heated, the centralelement (24) being moreover closed in a sealed manner between a furthertwo plane elements, an overlying element (25) and an underlying element(26), the element (25) being in turn provided, on its top face, withrecesses or hollows made for lightening the structure (25 a), theunderlying element (26) being in turn provided, on its bottom face, witha recess (26 a), whilst its top face is basically plane.
 33. Heateraccording to the previous claim, in which the water inlet and wateroutlet are, respectively, (25 b) and (25 c), the said heater (22) beingcorrespondingly and operatively connected to a cartridge-holder drawer(2), the operation being obtained by means of a hydraulic actuationsystem which vertically forces the heater (22) to come down onto thecartridge-holder drawer (2) so as to close it basically in a sealedmanner when the hot water or beverage is being dispensed.
 34. Heateraccording to claim 33, in which the operating connection is such thatthe heater (22) moves along travel guides (23), assisted by the presenceof springs, the said movement being produced by a hydraulic piston, thesaid piston being pressurized by a pump.
 35. Heater according to claim32, in which the bottom face of the element (26), provided with therecess (26 a), is connected in a sealed manner to a perforated plate(27), which faces and/or is in contact with the cartridge housed insidethe drawer (2).
 36. Heater according to claim 35, in which the recess(26 a) has a thickness of approximately 0.8 mm.
 37. Heater according toclaim 32, in which the element (25) is further provided with a hole (25b) for intake of water into the exchanger (22), with a correspondingwater-outlet hole (25 c), and with a further hole (25 d) for passage ofwater to the drawer (2), the said latter hole (25 d) corresponding to afurther two holes, (24 d) and (26 d), which are also directed towardsthe drawer (2) and are set, respectively, on the element (24) and on theelement (26).
 38. Cartridge-holder drawer and heater assembly in whichthe heater is according to claim 32, in the said assembly the waterpassing as follows: the water comes into the hole (25 b), passes intothe coil (24 e), drops into the hole (24 c), runs along the coil (24 f),returns upwards through the hole (24 c), and comes out of the exchangerthrough the hole (25 c); it then goes to a solenoid valve (106), returnsto the hole (25 d), passes through the holes (24 d) and (26 d), and thenarrives at the chamber (26 a), from where it is distributed, comes outfrom the holes in the plate (27), and drops through the cartridge in thedrawer (2), from which it comes out through an outlet hole.
 39. Assemblyaccording to claim 38, to be used in coffee machines.